Food and Chemical Toxicology 44 (2006) 847854 www.elsevier.

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Degradation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) by Staphylococcus xylosus in liquid media and meat mixture
F.L. Lea es
a

a,b

, A.P. Daniel a, G.B. Mello c, V. Battisti c, S. Bogusz Jr. d, T. Emanuelli e, L.L.M. Fries e, I. Costabeber c,*

ncia e Tecnologia de Alimentos, Centro de Cie ncias Rurais, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, s-graduac Programa de Po a o em Cie Camobi, Santa Maria, RS, CEP: 97105-900, Brazil b Unidade Sa o Luiz Gonzaga, Universidade Estadual do Rio Grande do Sul, Sa o Luiz Gonzaga, RS, CEP: 97800-000, Brazil c ncias da Sau de, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Campus de Camobi, Departamento de Morfologia, Centro de Cie Santa Maria, RS, CEP: 97105-900, Brazil d ncias da Sau de, Universidade Regional do Noroeste do Rio Grande do Sul, Iju , RS, CEP: 98700-000, Brazil Departamento de Cie e ncia dos Alimentos, Centro de Cie ncias Rurais, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Camobi, Departamento de Tecnologia e Cie Santa Maria, RS, CEP: 97105-900, Brazil Received 24 June 2005; accepted 15 November 2005

Abstract We investigated the growth of the meat starter Staphylococcus xylosus (104 cells mL1) in liquid media containing 0.01 ppm of each polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs 10, 28, 52, 138, 153, and 180) and its ability to degrade PCBs during 168 h of incubation in liquid media (104 cells mL1, 0.01 ppm of each PCB congener) and cured meat mixture (0.1% of meat starter, 1 lg g1 fat of each PCB congener). PCBs did not aect the growth of the starter microorganism in nutritive (brain heart infusion, BHI) or mineral salts medium (MSM) when compared to control (no PCB). S. xylosus degraded some of the PCB congeners tested. PCBs 138 and 153 were degraded both in BHI (78% and 68%, respectively; p < 0.05) and in MSM (71% and 66%, respectively; p < 0.05), with maximum degradation being observed within 24 h. Highly signicant negative exponential relationships was observed between incubation time and concentrations of PCB 28 and 180 in BHI, as well as for PCBs 52 and 180 in MSM. In the cured meat mixture highly signicant negative exponential relationship was observed between incubation time and the concentration of PCB 10. These results indicate that although S. xylosus reduced residues of various PCB congeners in liquid media, it was less eective in cured meat. 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Degradation; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Staphylococcus xylosus, Meat mixture

1. Introduction Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a class of 209 compounds with the molecular formula C12H10nCln, where 1 6 n 6 10 (Fig. 1). They were commercially
Abbreviations: ANOVA, analysis of variance; BHI, brain heart infusion; p,p 0 -DDT, 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis-chloro phenyl ethane; MSM, mineral salt medium; PCBs, polychlorinated biphenyls. * Corresponding author. Tel.: +55 55 32209375; fax: +55 55 32208494. E-mail address: ijoni@smail.ufsm.br (I. Costabeber). 0278-6915/$ - see front matter 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2005.11.008

produced as complex mixtures for various uses, being employed mainly as dielectric uids in capacitors and transformers (WHO, 1993; Penteado and Moreira Vaz, 2001). Their thermal and chemical stability, resistance to chemical corrosion, and general inertness have contributed to their persistence in the environment (Haluska et al., ska et al., 2004). 1995; Wiegel and Wu, 2000; Tr PCBs are deposited onto plants and water consumed by animals and sh. Due to their lipophilic properties and minimal degradation, they are biomagnied up the multistep food chain (Zuccato et al., 1999; De Vos et al., 2003;

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2. Material and methods 2.1. Materials

Meat starter culture Bactoferm S-SX (S. xylosus) was supplied by Chr. Hansen Ind. e Com. Ltda. (Valinhos, SP, Brasil). The microorganism was isolated from the commercial meat starter culture. The strains were stored in skim milk vials at 18 C until use. An actively growing broth culture was prepared by incubating the strain in brain heart infusion broth at 37 C for 18 h. This culture was diluted to a nal concentration of 105 cells mL1 that was used to inoculate the sterile media in the experiments with PCBs. The appropriate dilution was previously determined by counting colony forming units in BairdParker agar (Difco, Detroit, MI) at 37 C for 48 h. Culture media for the in vitro assays were the following: brain heart infusion broth (BHI, Merck, Darmstadt, Germany); mineral salts medium (MSM) prepared according to Bayarri et al. (1998) and BairdParker Agar (Merck, Darmstadt, Germany). n-Hexane, acetone and petroleum ether were obtained from Mallinckrodt (Kentucky, USA). Anhydrous sodium sulfate and 60/100-mesh pesticide reagent grade Florisil were obtained from Sigma (St. Louis, MO, USA). Florisil was previously activated at 150 C/12 h and partially deactivated by adding 2% Milli-Q water before use. Standard PCB solutions of 2,6-dichlorobiphenyl, 2,4,4 0 -trichlorobiphenyl, 2,2 0 ,5,5 0 -tetrachlorobiphenyl, 2,2 0 ,3,4,4 0 ,5 0 -hexachlorobiphenyl, 2,2 0 ,4,4 0 ,5,5 0 -hexachlorobiphenyl, and 2,2 0 ,3,4,4 0 ,5,5 0 -heptachlorobiphenyl (IUPAC no. 10, 28, 52, 138, 153, and 180, respectively) were obtained from SUPELCO Inc. (Bellefonte, PA, USA). All other reagents used were of analytical reagent grade.

Fig. 1. Chemical structure of PCBs (Wiegel and Wu, 2000). In PCBs, some or all of the 10 hydrogens bound to positions 26 and 2 0 6 0 are substituted with chlorines.

Weiglas-Kuperus et al., 2004). Hence, the major source of non-occupational exposure to these contaminants is via food consumption, particularly sh, meat, and dairy products (Focant et al., 2002; Ahmed, 2003). It is estimated that meat and meat products contribute to 1419% of the cumulative toxic eects of PCBs when compared to the other foodstus (Patandin et al., 1999). Some of the eects described after exposure to PCBs include neurotoxicity, immunotoxicity, carcinogenicity, as well as endocrine disruption (Ross, 2004). Several methods for PCBs destruction in environmental matrixes have been suggested (Kubatova et al., 2001). However, because classical remediation techniques (catalytic process, incineration, etc.) are generally expensive, and not always ecient, nowadays the research has been focused on the development of bioremediation processes (Sierra et al., 2003; Andreoni et al., 2004). Therefore, many microbes and enrichment cultures have been obtained that are able to metabolize and utilize PCBs as carbon and/or energy sources under aerobic or anaerobic conditions (Abraham et al., 2002). However, degradation is a very specic process and the growth of some microorganisms can even be inhibited by a xenobiotic (Bayarri, 1997; Abou-Arab, 2002). Studies on the degradation of PCB residues in meat and meat products are very important because of their increasing rate of consumption worldwide. Nowadays, the use of starter cultures is very common to improve characteristics of meat products. Fermented sausage is a high-fat-content meat product obtained using starter cultures of microorganisms like Micrococcus aurantiaccus, Pediococcus cerevisae (Abou-Arab, 2002), and Staphylococcus xylosus (Stahnke, 1995). The possibility that these microorganisms could degrade PCB residues is of great interest for the meat industry because it implies in a reduction of the toxicological risks associated to residues of highly stable compounds. However, few studies have evaluated this possibility (Bayarri, 1997). The present study was carried out to investigate the growth of the meat starter S. xylosus in liquid media containing PCBs and its ability to degrade PCBs in liquid media and meat mixture.

2.2. Methods
2.2.1. In vitro experiments with starter microorganism The in vitro study was performed in two dierent liquid media: nutritive medium (BHI) and a mineral salts medium (MSM). Tubes containing 8.99 mL of the sterilized liquid media (BHI or MSM) were inoculated with 1 mL S. xylosus (105 cells mL1concentration, to yield an initial cell number of 104 cells mL1 in the inoculated media) and spiked with 0.01 mL of acetone or a standard solution of PCB congeners no. 10, 28, 52, 138, 153, and 180 prepared in acetone, in which each compound was at 10 ppm (lg mL1). Unspiked samples (liquid media) were used as control. Samples were withdrawn at the beginning of the incubation (0 h) and after 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, 144, and 168 h of incubation at 30 C for bacteria count to investigate any inhibitory eect of PCBs. Bacteria count was recorded after incubation in BairdParker agar at 37 C for 48 h. The residues of PCBs remaining in the medium were extracted with hexane following the method described by Angulo (1998), with some modications. The medium (10 mL) was shaken with hexane (25 mL) and sulfuric acid (20 mL) in a separatory funnel. The aqueous layer was removed and the organic layer was extracted four times with 5 mL of sulfuric acid. The organic layer was removed and ltered through anhydrous sodium sulfate, evaporated to dryness in a rotary evaporator, dissolved in 2 mL of n-hexane, and used for PCB determination. 2.2.2. Meat mixture experiments For the investigation of PCBs degradation by S. xylosus in a meat mixture, the meat mixture (1.2 kg pork meat, 0.4 kg bovine meat, 0.4 kg bacon, 6 g cure salt (sodium nitrite and nitrate), 5 g sodium ascorbate, 50 g sodium chloride, 20 g sucrose, 10 g commercial spices, and 0.1% starter culture) was contaminated with PCB congeners (1 lg g1 fat for each congener) and their concentrations were evaluated during incubation at 30 C for 7 days. Samples were analyzed at the beginning of the incubation (0 h) and after 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, 144, and 168 h to determine PCB residues. Unspiked samples were used as control and the study was performed in triplicate. The fat of meat products was extracted as described by Waliszewski et al. (1997), with some modications. In brief, homogenized samples (50 g) were ground with a sucient amount of

F.L. Lea es et al. / Food and Chemical Toxicology 44 (2006) 847854 anhydrous sodium sulfate to yield a dry mixture, transferred to a 50 1 cm i.d. chromatographic column and extracted with 120 mL petroleum ether. The extract was transferred to a 50 mL round-bottom ask and the solvent was eliminated in a rotary evaporator. The extract (1 g) was applied to a chromatographic column containing 15 g of orisil and anhydrous sodium sulfate, and eluted with 100 mL n-hexane to extract PCBs. The eluate was ltered through anhydrous sodium sulfate, evaporated to dryness in a rotary evaporator, dissolved in 2 mL n-hexane, and used for PCB determination. All glassware used was previously cleaned by the method of Angulo et al. (1996). 2.2.3. Analysis of degradation products Chromatographic analyses were performed with a Hewlett Packard model 6890 gas chromatograph equipped with a 63Ni electron capture micro detector (GC/lECD). An Agilent HP-5 (crosslinked 5% PH ME siloxane) capillary column (30 m long, 0.25 mm internal diameter, and 0.25 lm lm thickness) was used. Operating conditions were as follows: injector 250 C, detector 350 C, oven temperature was held at 110 C for 5 min, then increased to 280 C at 14 C/min and hold 2 min. The carrier gas was nitrogen at a column ow rate of 1.6 mL/min. All samples were analyzed in duplicate. To determine the quality of the method, a recovery study was performed on ten replicates of blank meat mixture fat samples and ten replicates of blank liquid culture media (initial contamination level lower than the detection limit) overspiked with PCBs. Mean recoveries ranged from 42.3 to 86.1 and 97.3 to 110.0% for liquid culture medium and meat mixture fat, respectively depending on the PCB congener. The limits of detection (ng mL1 of culture medium) for liquid culture medium were 0.1 for PCBs 10, 28 and 153, 0.2 for PCB 52 and 138, and 0.4 for PCB 180. For meat mixture, the limits of detection (ng g1 fat) were 0.2 for PCBs 10, 28, and 52, and 0.5 for PCBs 138, 153, and 180.

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centration over the incubation time were tted using non-linear regression (SlideWrite Plus 4.0 software package) to an exponential equation: y a b expx=c

3. Results 3.1. Eect of PCBs on the growth of meat starter Addition of a mix of PCBs 10, 28, 52, 138, 153, and 180 (0.01 ppm of each compound) did not aect growth of S. xylosus in BHI or MSM (Fig. 2). In MSM counts increased around 3 log10 cfu/mL during the initial 12 h, while in BHI the increase was around 4 log10 cfu/mL. This pattern was observed in the three treatments (control, acetone, and mix of PCBs) with no signicant dierences among the treatments. 3.2. In vitro degradation of PCBs by the meat starter Staphylococcus xylosus Figs. 3 and 4 summarize the percentage of PCBs remaining in culture media after incubation with S. xylosus. These percentages are related to the initial concentration of PCBs (0 h). ANOVA did not reveal signicant main eects or interactions between culture media and incubation time on the concentrations of PCB 10 (data not shown). Besides, no signicant exponential relationship was observed between incubation time and the concentrations of PCB 10, indicating that this compound was not degraded up to 168 h of incubation regardless of the culture medium (data not shown). Although there were perceptible reductions in the concentrations of PCB 28 (Fig. 3A), 52 (Fig. 3B), and 180 (Fig. 4C), ANOVA revealed no signicant main eects or interactions between culture media, treatment and

2.3. Statistical analysis

Data were analyzed using the Statistica 6.0 software package. Results were analyzed by repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA): 2 culture media 3 treatment 11 incubation time for starter growth evaluations, and 2 culture media 2 treatment 11 incubation time for PCB degradation, except for results of PCB 10 that were evaluated by two-way ANOVA with no repeated measure due to the existence of groups without variance (all PCB levels lower than the limit of quantication). Post hoc analysis was carried out using Duncans test when appropriate. Dierences were considered to be signicant when p 6 0.05. The changes in PCB con-

Fig. 2. Growth rate of S. xylosus in (A) mineral salt medium (MSM) or (B) nutritive medium (BHI) during 168 h of incubation at 30 C. Medium were unspiked (control) or spiked with 0.01 ppm PCBs mix (congeners 10, 28, 52, 138, 153, and 180) or acetone (vehicle of PCBs mix). Results are the mean standard error of three independent experiments (standard errors were lower than the legend symbol).

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Fig. 3. Degradation of PCB 28 (A) and PCB 52 (B) by the meat starter S. xylosus in culture media during incubation at 30 C. Liquid culture medium was spiked with 0.01 ppm of each PCB congener. The PCB concentrations found in the culture media not spiked with PCBs (control) were always lower than 10% and are omitted for clarity purposes. Results are expressed as percentage (mean standard error of three independent experiments) of PCB concentration at the beginning of the incubation (0 h).

incubation time on the concentrations of these congeners. This probably occurred due to uctuations in the levels of these congeners during the experimental period. However, regression analysis revealed highly signicant exponential relationships between incubation time and the concentrations of PCB 28 (r = 0.96, p < 0.05) and PCB 180 (r = 0.89, p < 0.05) in BHI (Figs. 3A and 4C). In MSM there was a highly signicant exponential relationship between incubation time and the concentration of PCB 52 (r = 0.84, p < 0.05) and 180 (r = 0.97, p < 0.05), indicating that these compounds were signicantly degraded during the incubation (Figs. 3B and 4C). ANOVA revealed a signicant main eect of the incubation time and a signicant treatment incubation time interaction for PCBs 138 and 153, indicating that these compounds were degraded both in BHI (78% and 68%, respectively) and in MSM (71% and 66%, respectively; Fig. 4A and B). Maximum degradation occurred within 24 h for both compounds, which coincides with the logarithmic phase of growth of S. xylosus (Fig. 2). 3.3. PCBs degradation in meat mixture Fig. 5 shows the degradation of PCBs by the meat starter S. xylosus in meat mixture. The evolution of the concentrations during the incubation is expressed as percentage of PCB levels at the beginning of incubation. ANOVA did not reveal signicant main eects or interactions between treatment and incubation time on the concentration of any compound evaluated. However,

regression analysis revealed highly signicant exponential relationships between incubation time and PCB 10 (r = 0.88, p < 0.05), indicating that this compound was signicantly degraded during incubation. No signicant exponential relationship was observed between the incubation time and the concentrations of the other PCB congeners evaluated (28, 52, 138, 153, and 180), indicating that these compounds were not signicantly degraded in the meat mixture up to 168 h of incubation. 4. Discussion 4.1. Eect of PCBs on the growth of meat starter The mix of PCBs 10, 28, 52, 138, 153, and 180 did not aect the growth of S. xylosus at 30 C during 24 h. In contrast, Bayarri (1997) observed a reduced growth of S. carnosus in two culture media (nutritive and mineral salt medium) containing a mix of organochlorine compounds and PCB 153. However, each microorganism has a distinct behavior towards the stress caused by contaminants (Abraham et al., 2002) and no studies were found concerning the inuence of PCBs on S. xylosus growth, which makes dicult the comparisons with our results. Besides, microbial population may adapt itself to the presence of organochlorine compounds by various mechanisms including the development of an appropriate enzymatic system to eliminate the stress factor, i.e. to degrade the contaminants of the medium (Dolng and Beurskens, 1995). This mechanism could explain the normal growth

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Fig. 4. Degradation of PCB 138 (A), PCB 153 (B), and PCB 180 (C) by the meat starter S. xylosus in culture media during incubation at 30 C. Liquid culture medium was spiked with 0.01 ppm of each PCB congener. The PCB concentrations found in the culture media not spiked with PCBs (control) were always lower than 10% and are omitted for clarity purposes. Results are expressed as percentage (mean standard error of three independent experiments) of PCB concentration at the beginning of the incubation (0 h). Dierence between the initial and nal levels was statistically signicant (Duncans test, p < 0.05) for PCB 138 and 153.

Fig. 5. Degradation of PCBs 10, 28, 52 (A), 138, 153 and 180 (B) in the meat mixture during incubation with S. xylosus. Meat mixture was spiked with 1 lg g1 fat of each PCB congener and then stored at 30 C. Results (mean standard error of three independent experiments) are expressed as percentage of PCB concentration at the beginning of the incubation (0 h).

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of S. xylosus in the presence of PCBs when compared with the control. 4.2. In vitro degradation of PCBs by the meat starter S. xylosus Microorganism metabolism may change depending on the environmental circumstances. Many factors like temperature, pH, and carbon content can strongly inuence the rate, extent, and route of PCB degradation (Wiegel and Wu, 2000; Borja et al., 2005). Microorganisms might preferentially degrade other organic substances before PCBs. This behavior can not be evaluated in mineral salts medium, where the only carbon source are the PCBs (Katayama and Matsumura, 1993; Klasson et al., 1996). For this reason we investigated PCB degradation both in MSM and BHI. Accordingly, PCB 52 was signicantly degraded in MSM, but not in BHI, where other carbon sources were available. In contrast, the degradation of the other congeners evaluated was similar in BHI and MSM medium. PCBs containing chlorine atoms in the para (4 and 4 0 ) and meta positions (3,3 0 ,5 and 5 0 ) are preferentially biodegraded (WHO, 1993; Wiegel and Wu, 2000; Borja et al., 2005). Among the six PCB congeners evaluated only two had no chlorine atom in the para positions: PCB 10 (2,6dichlorobiphenyl) and PCB 52 (2,2 0 ,5,5 0 -tetrachlorobiphenyl). Accordingly, PCB 10 was not signicantly degraded both in MSM and BHI, while PCB 52 was degraded only in MSM. As discussed above the degradation of PCB 52 in MSM may have occurred because in this medium PCBs are the only carbon source, which may favor the attack to this compound that is not usually degraded. In our experimental design culture media were simultaneously spiked with the six PCB congeners. Therefore, the transitory increase in the concentration of PCB 52 during incubation in BHI (although not statistically signicant) could be attributed to the dechlorination of higher chlorinated congeners like PCBs 153 (2,2 0 ,4,4 0 ,5,5 0 -hexachlorobiphenyl) and/or 180 (2,2 0 ,3,4,4 0 ,5,5 0 -heptachlorobiphenyl). This hypothesis is especially probable since the removal of their two chlorine atoms from the para (4,4 0 ) and meta (3) positions, which are preferential pathways for degradation (WHO, 1993; Wiegel and Wu, 2000; Borja et al., 2005), yields PCB 52. Degradation of these PCBs was similar both in MSM and BHI medium. Hence, the increase in the concentration of PCB 52 in BHI would depend on a reduced degradation of this compound in BHI. Fedi et al. (2001) evaluated PCB degradation by fteen aerobic bacterial strains using biphenyl as the sole carbon and energy source and observed that some strains degraded up to 75% of PCB 28. Although we have observed a similar amount of PCB 28 degradation by S. xylosus, degradation was statistically signicant only in BHI and not in MSM. Sierra et al. (2003) observed that after seven days of incubation in a mineral salt medium containing a commercial mixture of PCBs (Aroclor 1242), the new isolated aerobic bacterium Janibacter sp. degraded 100% of PCB 10 and

92% of PCB 52. This report contrasts with our results where PCBs 10 and 28 were not signicantly degraded by S. xylosus in MSM. These discrepancies suggest that the ability of microorganisms to degrade PCBs may be dierentially aected by environmental conditions depending on the microorganism studied. Concerning to the degradation of PCBs 138, 153 and 180 in both culture media our results are in agreement with Bayarri (1997), who veried that other microorganisms (Micrococcus varians and S. carnosus) degrade highly chlorinated compounds, like PCB 153 (six chlorine atoms), in aerobic conditions. However, according to Abraham et al. (2002), microorganisms generally degrade low chlorinated PCBs in aerobic conditions, while highly chlorinated PCBs are commonly degraded in anaerobic conditions. Various authors have found microbial degradation of PCBs in aerobic conditions (Ruiz-Aguilar et al., 2002; et al., 2003), but most studies evaluated microKomancova organisms isolated from soil, water or sediments. Few studies investigated the degradation of organochlorine compounds by starter microorganisms used in meat products. Mirna and Coretti (1979) observed that micrococci and lactobacilli obtained from a commercial starter culture degraded lindane (70% and 90%, respectively) after two weeks of incubation in nutritive medium. DDT was intensely degraded and converted into DDD by micrococci, but was not degraded by lactobacilli. Bayarri et al. (1998) observed that some organochlorine compounds were degraded by the meat starter microorganism M. varians in an in vitro study in mineral salt medium. Although these studies have not evaluated PCB degradation, results found were similar to those that we obtained with S. xylosus and indicate that starter microorganisms are able to degrade some chlorinated compounds. This degradation could be important in the reduction of the toxicological risk associated with residues of PCBs in meat products. 4.3. PCBs degradation in meat mixture Many authors investigated the eect of aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms on PCBs levels in organic matrixes, especially in soil and sediments (Chang et al., 2001; Fedi et al., 2001; Nawab et al., 2003; Sierra et al., 2003). A low number of investigations using meat as organic matrix were performed (Mirna and Coretti, 1979; Arin o et al., 1993; Bayarri et al., 1998; Abou-Arab, 2002), and in these experiments various starter microorganisms were used. However, as far as we know no study has reported the ability of S. xylosus to degrade PCBs. According to Arin o et al. (1995) microorganisms used in meat products enzymatically degrade part of the organochlorine compounds, by using these compounds as carbon sources. This degradation could be favored by many factors allowing the enzymesubstrate contact, like the mince process and the mixture of the ingredients. Spatial disposition of the halogenated substitutions inuences PCB degradation (Bedard et al., 1986; Fetzner

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and Lingens, 1994). Bopp (1986) found that ortho-substituted PCB congeners are highly resistant to degradation by Pseudomonas strain LB400. In contrast, in the present study, where PCBs 10, 52, 138, 153, and 180 are di-ortho congeners, we observed a reduction in the levels of PCB 10 in a meat mixture. The resistance of PCB 52 to degradation is of concern, since this PCB has been associated to malignant lesions (Lucena et al., 2001). Degradation of non-ortho and mono-ortho substituted congeners are also very important, because these compounds are structurally related to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-pdioxin and have dioxin-like eects, i.e. carcinogenic eects (Penteado and Moreira Vaz, 2001). The mono-ortho congener evaluated in the present study (PCB 28) was signicantly degraded only in the BHI medium. Some authors indicate that degradation magnitude is inversely related to the number of chlorine atoms in the compound. Accordingly, the dichloro-substituted congener PCB 10 was the only PCB signicantly degraded during meat mixture incubation, while higher chlorinated PCBs were slightly and non-signicantly degraded. Similar to our study, Bayarri (1997) did not observe signicant reduction in the levels of PCB 153 during sausage maturation with commercial starter microorganisms containing Pediococcus acidilactici, Pediococcus pentosaceus, and M. varians. Abou-Arab (2002) investigated the ability of two strains of meat starter microorganisms (Lactobacillus plantarum and M. varians) to degrade organochlorine pesticides in sausage mixture. After 72 h it was observed a reduction of 10% in p,p 0 -DDT levels and 18% in lindane levels. Arin o et al. (1993) found a 30% reduction in the lindane levels in sausage after 30 days of curing, indicating the possible action of the fermented meat microora. 5. Conclusion In summary, it was shown that although S. xylosus decreased the concentration of various PCB congeners in liquid media, it was less eective in meat mixture. It can be inferred that the use of the starter microorganism S. xylosus in meat products would have a limited contribution to eliminate PCB residues, since only PCB 10 was signicantly degraded in the meat mixture. Acknowledgement This work was supported by CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento e Pesquisa). I. Costabeber was the recipient of PROFIX Fellowship. T. Emanuelli is the recipient of a CNPq Research Fellowship. References
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